Intravenous Pole System

ABSTRACT

An intravenous pole with individually adjustable ring support members, a freely rotating slip ring with a plurality of electrical plug receptacles, an ultraviolet radiation source, and a wireless recharging system.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority benefit of U.S. Non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 14/301,972 filed on Jun. 11, 2014, entitled, “Intravenous Pole System” which claims priority benefit of Provisional Patent Application No. 61/833,721 filed on Jun. 11, 2013, entitled “Intravenous Pole.”

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to the field of devices for hospitals and medical facilities, and more particularly to an intravenous pole system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Standard IV poles are typically telescopic in nature and rely on a tension screw/handle system or a rotating friction ring to adjust the IV hanging apparatus. This arrangement is always a two-handed method and after some service use, this tension based system usually fails to hold the telescoping pole in the correct position. There have been instances where the weight of the hanging IV fluids (or irrigations) has caused the telescoping arrangement to collapse causing injury to both patients and care providers.

There are many articles supporting the rise of hospital acquired infections originating from numerous high touch surface areas located within patient care environments, especially in the operating room and intensive care unit environments. The standard IV pole designs have multiple non-linear surface areas that are difficult to clean.

The IV pole is intended to hold IV pumps that must be plugged into an outlet for operation. In the operating room there are also many other products that utilize a simple power strip apparatus in addition to the pole. Furthermore, the use of fluid warmers and warm air blowing devices that warm patients during surgery are necessary and must use local receptacle outlets. Sometimes the IV pole power strips are used for other devices in the operating room necessary for surgery. These current receptacle designs are cumbersome. They are in a fixed position in relation to the devices plugged into them. As the IV pole must be freely movable and adjusted in relation to the operating room table or bed, this fixed receptacle position causes a tethering effect which is difficult to position with multiple fixed plugged wire projection points. This arrangement also causes a significant and well documented tripping hazard.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), hospital acquired infections (“HAIs”) occurred in over 700,000 patients in 2011. Approximately 75,000 patients lost their lives as a result of the infections. It is estimated that one in twenty five patients will become infected, increasing their rate of prolonged hospital stay from seven to nine days. Furthermore it is estimated that seventy percent of these infections are preventable.

Common pathogens such as Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (“MRSA”), Hepatitis, Clostridium difficile (“C. diff”), Escherichia coli (“E. coli”), and countless others organisms (viral, bacterial, spore, and prion) can come from many common sources. The continued pathogenicity of these bio organisms and emergence of superbugs have come to the forefront due to their morbidity and their mortality. “Superbugs” are strains of bacteria that are resistant to several types of antibiotics. According to the CDC, these drug-resistant bacteria infect more than two million people nationwide and kill at least 23,000 annually. These superbugs are outpacing the industry's ability to fight infections via new forms of antibiotics.

There are many factors that contribute to the prevalence of these infections. Patient morbidity relating to long standing chronic illness or diseases such as obesity, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (“COPD”), cancers, etc., greatly contribute to a patient's susceptibility to these pathogens. These factors along with a patient's admittance for surgery and subsequent stay also add to a patient's risk for infection.

While antibiotic use is one deterrent to these infections, attention is turning toward the role of the care environment in the transfer of pathogens. Care providers and the care environment are known vectors in just about every research or literature publication relating to infections and infection control. There are many reasons for this close relation between care environment and infections. These issues are just as multifactorial as the patient's risk factors.

Hand washing, adequate staffing, correct environmental cleaning and decontamination standards, and a host of other foundations of care can contribute to the spread of pathogens if they are not done correctly as per accepted regimens. This relationship between care related factors and the spread of pathogens is especially true for high touch surface areas located within these care environments. New technologies relating to decontaminating these environmental surfaces include hydrogen peroxide aerosols and short wavelength ultraviolet radiation (“UV-C”) technologies, also known as Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), as a secondary modality to common environmental cleaning regimens.

High touch surface areas such as, but not limited to, door knobs, bed rails, and IV poles are known vectors of pathogens. For care providers, it is easy to transfer pathogens even with gloved hands to patients when performing common duties in respect to patient care.

Out of all of these surfaces, the IV pole or stand is a well-known vector for infection. IV poles are commonly handled by care provides while patients use IV poles to ambulate into other areas. It is very common for IV poles to be transferred to different care areas.

Accordingly, there is a need for an IV pole with individually, one-hand adjustable rings for supporting different IV bags with different volume and flow requirements. There is also a need for an improved electrical system that provides greater versatility and flexibility and that provides for providing power from a first IV pole to a second IV pole. There is also a need for a base for an IV pole having a unique shape with clean lines and minimal surface areas and with the casters protected from contamination, for promoting infection control. There is also a need for an IV pole having an onboard UV-C LED light system for infection control.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With parenthetical reference to the corresponding parts, portions or surfaces of the disclosed embodiment, merely for the purposes of illustration and not by way of limitation, the present invention meets the above described needs by providing an intravenous pole (10) for use in supporting a plurality of fluid bags (35). A base (55) has a hub (56) disposed in a central portion of the base (55). The base (55) has a top surface (64) extending laterally from the hub (56). The base (55) has an opening (58, 61) extending inward from a perimeter of the top surface (64) toward the hub (56). The top surface (64) of the base (55) also covers at least one caster (57).

The pole (10) has a lower end secured to the hub (56) of the base (55). The pole (10) has a lower section with a receptacle housing (40) disposed thereon. The pole (10) has an upper section with multiple channels defined therein. More than one of the channels has a plurality of openings (22) defined along its longitudinal axis. More than one of the channels is configured to receive a ring support member (19 a-d) therein. The ring support member (19 a-d) has a body portion (25 a-d), and a lateral portion (28 a-d). The lateral portion (28 a-d) has a ring disposed thereon for receiving at least one of the plurality of fluid bags (35).

A retractable pin (38) is disposed on the ring support member (19 a-d) such that the pin (38) moves between a first position where it is inserted into one of the openings (22) in the upper section of the pole (10) and a second position where it is removed from the opening (22).

A plurality of electrical plug receptacles (43 a-f) are mounted in the receptacle housing (40).

In another embodiment, the system may further comprise a rechargeable battery (212) positioned toward the bottom of a pole (200) so that it can be wirelessly recharged by means of source resonator pads (215) positioned in the floor (218) of a healthcare facility.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the intravenous pole;

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view thereof;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view thereof;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of an alternate embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is an electrical diagram for one embodiment of the invention; and,

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

At the outset, it should be clearly understood that like reference numerals are intended to identify the same structural elements, portions or surfaces consistently throughout the several drawing figures, as such elements, portions or surfaces may be further described or explained by the entire written specification, of which this detailed description is an integral part. Unless otherwise indicated, the drawings are intended to be read (e.g., cross-hatching, arrangement of parts, proportion, debris, etc.) together with the specification, and are to be considered a portion of the entire written description of this invention. As used in the following description, the terms “horizontal”, “vertical”, “left”, “right”, “up” and “down”, as well as adjectival and adverbial derivatives thereof, (e.g., “horizontally”, “rightwardly”, “upwardly”, etc.), simply refer to the orientation of the illustrated structure as the particular drawing figure faces the reader. Similarly, the terms “inwardly” and “outwardly” generally refer to the orientation of a surface relative to its axis of elongation, or of rotation, as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 1, an intravenous pole 10 may have a lower section 11 with a support member 13 that receives central support member 16 and a plurality of individually adjustable ring support members 19 a, 19 b, etc. forming an upper section 12. The lower and upper sections 11, 12 may be integrally formed or may be formed by separate members. The central support member 16 may be fixed relative to the support member 13, and support member 16 includes a plurality of apertures 22 along the length thereof. Turning to FIG. 5, ring support member 19 c includes a body portion 25 c and a lateral portion 28 c. The lateral portion 28 c extends transverse to the longitudinal axis 26 of the body portions 25 c. The lateral portion 28 c has a proximal portion 31 c that is disposed adjacent to the body portion 25 c, and the lateral portion 28 c has a distal portion 34 c. The distal portion 34 c is curled to provide a hook for attaching a bag 35 (FIG. 1) of intravenous fluids to the intravenous pole 10.

Returning to FIG. 1, a receptacle housing 40 may be rotatably mounted to support member 13. The receptacle housing 40 may have a hexagonal shape with a snap-in outlet 43 a-f disposed on each of the six sides. The snap-in outlets 43 a-f may be rated for 15 amps. The combination of the hexagonal shaped housing 40 and the rotatable mounting of the housing 40 provides for a wide range of angles and direction for providing power to additional devices. The outlets 43 a-f are set in the pole 10 and are not able to be removed from the pole 10. This arrangement is designed to replace the use of consumer power strips attached to an intravenous pole as is common in the industry. Power for the pole 10 may be provided from a cord that may contain a C13 plug on the end of it that may plug into a C14 receptacle 46 on the base of the pole 10. Power may also be provided by batteries including rechargeable batteries or the like. The power from the base is fed to the outlets disposed in the housing 40.

Another aspect of the electrical design of the present invention is the ability to distribute power to a second intravenous pole. The system of the present invention also includes a ground fault circuit interrupter 49 (GFCI). If the GFCI registers an irregularity in the incoming and outgoing current it will cut the connection of the circuit preventing any damage to equipment connected to the circuit.

As shown in FIG. 7, the outlets 43 a-f may be wired in parallel such that the total current that the pole 10 could handle is theoretically 90 amps. (15 amps per outlet times six). The outlet 52 may be rated at 20 amps and may provide power to another pole by connecting an electrical cord leading to the other pole.

In FIG. 1, a base 55 is connected at its hub 56 to the pole 10 toward the bottom of the support member 13. The base 55 may have an overall shape that is curved with a pair of centrally located pie-shaped openings 58 and 61. The gap created by the openings 58, 61 allows the IV pole 10 to be moved closer to fixed objects, staff, and mobile machinery in the operating room or intensive care unit.

The top surface 64 of the base 55 covers casters 57 (FIG. 2) and extends to a point 67 disposed adjacent to the opening 61. The surface 64 is curved from point 67 to a point 70 on the opposite side of the base 55. From point 70, the surface 64 extends inward adjacent to opening 58. Opening 58 is bordered at the top by surface 64 and is bordered by inner faces 73 and 76. The GFCI 49 may be disposed on inner surface 73. The surface 64 extends to another point 79 disposed adjacent to opening 58. As shown at the bottom of the figure, an outer surface 82 includes an outlet 52 for connecting power to another pole 10. On the opposite side of the base 55, a power cord with an electrical plug or a receptacle 46 for receiving an AC cord may be provided for receiving power from a wall outlet. The surface 64 extends to point 83 adjacent to opening 61. Opening 61 is bordered by faces 86, 87.

Turning to FIG. 2, the underside of the base 55 is shown with all but one of the casters 57 removed for clarity. The bottom surface 60 of the base 55 extends laterally about the hub 56. Cutouts 90 may be provided for mounting casters 57, and recessed portions 99 may be provided for mounting electrical receptacles 46 and 52.

In FIG. 3, the central support member 16 is shown with ring support members 19 a, 19 b, 19 c and 19 d attached to different faces of member 16. The ring support members 19 a-d each have lateral portions 28 a-d that extend to distal portions 34 a-d for supporting bags containing intravenous fluids. Each of the ring support members 19 a-19 d may be individually adjusted.

In FIG. 4, the housing 88 for the base 55 is shown in greater detail. The base 55 includes four mounting positions 91 a-d for receiving casters (not shown). The casters provide for rolling the intravenous pole 10 across the floor or other supporting surface. The base 55 includes recessed portions 99 for receiving the inlet and outlet power. The incoming power comes from a wall outlet and provides a source of AC power to the pole. The outlet provides for connecting another pole to pole 10 to receive power.

Turning to FIG. 5, an exploded view shows the operation of the ring support members 19 a-d in greater detail. Each side of the central support member 16 may be provided with a T-shaped slot for receiving the body portions 25 a-d of the ring support members 19 a-d, respectively. The slots are bordered by openings 22 disposed along the longitudinal axis of the body portions 25 a-d. As shown with respect to ring support member 19 d, a retractable pin 38 may be inserted into an opening 22 to fix the position of the ring support member 19 d relative to the central support member 16. The pin 38 may be spring biased into the opening 22 such that once the pin 38 is inserted into the opening 22 it remains there until it is removed against the force of the spring 41. An oval shaped member 103 may be provided for easy one handed adjustment of the ring support member 19 d. With one hand, the oval shaped member 103 may be grasped while simultaneously pulling the pin 38 against the force of the spring 41 to retract it from one of the openings 22. With the pin 38 removed, the ring support member 19 d can be slid in either direction along the longitudinal axis of the central support member 16. When the pin 38 is aligned with another one of the openings and is released from the grip of the user, the pin 38 will slide into the aligned opening under the force of the spring 41. Accordingly, each individual ring support member 19 a-d may be individually adjusted with a simple one handed operation.

As shown in FIG. 5, the central support member 16 is disposed in the center of a plurality of ring support members 19 a, 19 b, 19 c, 19 d. Each ring support member 19 a-d, may be individually adjusted to raise and lower its attached hook. The height of the hook may thereby be adjusted to accommodate different sized fluid bags and different gravity based flow rates. One embodiment of an adjusting mechanism 37 is shown. The adjusting mechanism 37 includes a pin 38 that is biased by a spring 41. The pin 38 includes a head 45 that can be gripped by one hand. At the opposite end from the head 45, a distal end 47 of the pin 38 is sized to fit into one of the plurality of apertures 22. When the head 45 is released, the spring 41 biases the distal end 47 into the aperture 22 such that the ring support member 19 d is fixed into a position relative to the support member 16. If the user wants to adjust the height of the ring support member 19 b, the user may grip the head 45 with one hand to pull rightwardly with respect to the orientation of FIG. 5, Once the distal end 47 is retracted from the opening 22 against the force of the spring 41, the ring support member 19 b can be lifted upward or lowered downward until the distal end 47 aligns with another one of the apertures 22. Once the ring support member 19 c is repositioned, the user can release the head 45 and the spring 41 will urge the distal end 47 into engagement with the aligned aperture 22 to lock the support member 19 d into position.

In FIG. 6, another embodiment of the invention is shown. IV pole 200 includes a base 203, a central pole shaft 206, a rotating slip ring 209 and a rechargeable battery 212. The rechargeable battery 212 is positioned toward the bottom of the IV pole 200 so that it can be recharged by means of source resonator pads 215 positioned in the floor 218 of the facility. The wireless transfer of power from a power source to a capture device such as a rechargeable battery 212 is known to those of ordinary skill in the art and is commercially available from companies such as Witricity Corporation of Watertown, Mass. Wireless energy transfer systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 7,741,734; 7,825,543; 8,022,576; 8,035,255; 8,076,800; 8,076,801; 8,084,889; 8,097,983; 8,106,539; 8,115,448; 8,304,935; 8,400,017; 8,400,018; 8,400,019; 8,400,020; 8,400,021; 8,400,022; 8,400,023; and 8,400,024; which are hereby incorporated by reference. When the IV pole 200 is in place over the resonator pad 215 the charging station trickle charges the battery 212 which in turn powers the entire pole and its powered utility devices. The IV pole shaft 206 itself is a magnetic resonating DC power source that may trickle charge batteries of IV pole mounted devices allowing their use without plugging them into native room receptacles. The capture device for receiving the charge from the IV pole shaft 206 may be incorporated directly into the device such as an IV pump or may be integrated into a clamp apparatus used to hold the IV pump onto the IV pole shaft 206.

The rotating slip ring 209 provides a plurality of receptacles 221 to rotate three hundred sixty degrees about the longitudinal axis 229 of the IV pole shaft 206. The slip ring 209 carries a plurality of receptacles 221. The free rotating slip ring receptacle unit 209 may also house a rechargeable battery 212 that powers devices such as, but not limited to, a Bair hugger, fluid warmer, or IV pump, for extended amounts of time.

The IV pole 200 of the present invention eliminates the main power cord serving the entire pole battery/power system. The IV pole 200 includes a base system on wheels directly above the floor with an integral battery 212 sized to provide power for all medical items plugged into the top of the IV pole system. The base of the IV pole includes a capture device 230 that allows the base of the pole to be charged from strategically placed source resonator pads 215 located in the floor 218 of a hospital. Using an RF amplifier and a grid layout of source resonators (i.e., that is wireless power sources) a portable IV pole 200 capable of providing power to IV pumps may be provided without the need for an AC power cord. The retrofit of the hospital floor to include the source resonator pads 215 is a minor and fairly non-intrusive operation that can be accomplished without compromising the sterility and clean-room environment of the hospital spaces. An alternative for this would be placement of printed circuit source coil resonators on the surface of existing care environment floor structures, or “charging zones.”

Turning to FIG. 8, the IV pole system of the present invention incorporates an ultraviolet (“UV”) radiation source 300, 303 in its design as a means to combat the spread of pathogens in high touch surface areas. The UV radiation source 300, 303 may comprise a system of light-emitting diodes 306 (“LED”) and may provide UV-C radiation 309. The LED light source 300, 303 serves as a back-up to institutional environmental cleaning methods and standards. The LED light source 300, 303 reduces infections from provider to patient and from patient to environment and vice versa.

The LED light source may be located in two specific structural areas of the IV Pole. First, LED's 306 may be positioned at the transition from the upper section 12 to the support member 13, and LED's 306 may also be positioned under the receptacle housing 40. This positioning allows the LED's to direct the UV-C rays down the commonly used support member 13 which forms a gripping area for transporting and positioning the pole 10 as well as onto the base 55 where all of the plugged cords and potential contaminates (fluids, blood, urine, etc) are located.

The UV-C LED system activates using a variable timer system that allows the light to activate during low use times such as early morning from 1 am to 4 am, thereby minimizing the potential hazardous UV-C light exposure to patients and providers. This time cycle will be determined based on known times of exposures that render common pathogens non-pathogenic.

The UV-C rays are able to penetrate the cells of microorganisms and disrupt the structure of their DNA molecules. In doing so, the microorganism is prohibited from surviving and/or reproducing, thereby rendering it inactive and no longer pathogenic. Short-wave UV-C light (wavelength range 200-280 nm) inactivates pathogens mainly by direct interaction with nucleic acids. This interaction results predominantly in formation of cyclobutane pyrimidine and pyrimidine pyrimidone dimers which block the elongation of nucleic acid transcripts.

The present invention contemplates that many changes and modifications may be made. Therefore, while the presently-preferred form of the system has been shown and described, and several modifications and alternatives discussed, persons skilled in this art will readily appreciate that various additional changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined and differentiated by the following claims. 

1. An intravenous pole system for use in supporting a plurality of fluid bags, the system comprising: a base having a hub disposed in a central portion, the base having a top surface extending laterally from the hub, the base having an opening extending inward from a perimeter of the top surface toward the hub, the top surface of the base covering at least one caster; a pole having a lower end secured to the hub of the base, the pole having a lower section with a receptacle housing disposed thereon, the pole having an upper section with multiple channels defined therein, more than one of the channels having a plurality of openings defined along its longitudinal axis, more than one of the channels configured to receive a ring support member therein, the ring support member having a body portion, and a lateral portion, the lateral portion having a ring disposed thereon for receiving at least one of the plurality of fluid bags; a retractable pin disposed on the ring support member such that the pin moves between a first position where it is inserted into one of the openings in the upper section of the pole and a second position where it is removed from the opening; a plurality of electrical plug receptacles mounted in the receptacle housing; and, an ultraviolet (UV) radiation source mounted on the pole.
 2. The intravenous pole system of claim 1, wherein the base further comprises a power outlet for distributing power to a second intravenous pole.
 3. The intravenous pole system of claim 1, wherein the receptacle housing is rotatably mounted to the pole.
 4. The intravenous pole system of claim 1, wherein the receptable housing has a hexagonal shape.
 5. The intravenous pole system of claim 1, wherein the retractable pin is acted on by a biasing member.
 6. The intravenous pole system of claim 1, further comprising a handle disposed adjacent the retractable pin.
 7. The intravenous pole system of claim 1, further comprising a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).
 8. The intravenous pole system of claim 1, wherein more than one ring support member may be adjusted to a different height on the pole.
 9. The intravenous pole system of claim 1, wherein the base has an opening extending from the perimeter of the top surface toward the hub on at least two sides of the base.
 10. The intravenous pole system of claim 1, wherein the UV radiation source comprises a UV-C system.
 11. The intravenous pole system of claim 10, further comprising a timer configured to automatically energize the light source at predetermined times.
 12. The intravenous pole system of claim 1, wherein the UV-C system is disposed at the transition from the upper section of the pole.
 13. The intravenous pole system of claim 1, wherein the UV-C system is mounted below the receptacle housing.
 14. An intravenous pole system for use in supporting a plurality of fluid bags and for use to supply power to a second intravenous pole disposed in its vicinity, the system comprising: a base having a hub disposed in a central portion, the base having a top surface extending laterally from the hub, the base covering at least one caster, the base having two or more openings extending inward from a perimeter of the top surface toward the hub, the base having a power inlet for receiving incoming power and having a power outlet for distributing power to the second intravenous pole; a pole having a lower end secured to the hub of the base, the pole having a lower section with a receptacle housing rotatably disposed thereon, the pole having an upper section with multiple channels defined therein, more than one of the channels having a plurality of openings defined along its longitudinal axis, more than one of the channels configured to receive a ring support member therein, the ring support member having a body portion, and a lateral portion, the lateral portion having a ring disposed thereon for receiving at least one of the plurality of fluid bags; a retractable pin disposed on the ring support member such that the pin moves between a first position where it is inserted into one of the openings in the upper section of the pole and a second position where it is removed from the opening; a biasing member configured to urge the retractable pin into one of the openings in the upper section of the pole when the pin is disposed in alignment with the opening; an ultraviolet (UV) radiation source mounted on the pole; and, a plurality of electrical plug receptacles mounted in the receptacle housing.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the top surface of the base has a round shape with two pie-shaped sections removed.
 16. The system of claim 14, wherein the receptacle housing has a hexagonal shape.
 17. The system of claim 14, wherein the pole further comprises a rechargeable battery.
 18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a source resonator pad disposed in a support surface adjacent to the pole such that the rechargeable battery is wirelessly charged.
 19. The system of claim 14, further comprising a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).
 20. An intravenous pole system for use in supporting a plurality of fluid bags, the system comprising: a base having a hub disposed in a central portion, the base having a top surface extending laterally from the hub, the base having an opening extending inward from a perimeter of the top surface toward the hub, the top surface of the base covering at least one caster; a pole having a lower end secured to the hub of the base, the pole having a lower section with a receptacle housing disposed thereon, the pole having an upper section with multiple channels defined therein, more than one of the channels having a plurality of openings defined along its longitudinal axis, more than one of the channels configured to receive a ring support member therein, the ring support member having a body portion, and a lateral portion, the lateral portion having a ring disposed thereon for receiving at least one of the plurality of fluid bags; means for adjusting the position of the ring support member relative to the upper section of the pole; a UV-C radiation source mounted on the pole; and, a plurality of electrical plug receptacles mounted in the receptacle housing. 